Britney Spears’s MTV VMAs performance was supposed to be the comeback performance of the evening. It was supposed to be one of the biggest performances of all time. However, for many, it was a reminder that Spears isn’t at the top of her game anymore. It also reminded those that perhaps too much pressure is being put on Britney. Chris Williams of Yahoo Music wasn’t a big fan of Britney’s performance.

“Well, at least Britney Spears’s ballyhooed return to the MTV Video Music Awards was only her second-weakest VMAs performance. Compared to the debacle of 2007, her medley of ‘Make Me’ and G-Eazy’s ‘Me, Myself and I’ felt completely passable, though ‘not bad enough to be discussed around the water cooler’ probably isn’t quite the comeback Spears enthusiasts were hoping for.”

Williams added that having Spears appear after Beyonce was definitely a bad idea.

Allison Stewart of the Washington Post also thought Spears’ performance wasn’t completely awful, but that Britney is stuck in another era.

“Spears’s performance in Madison Square Garden on Sunday night was supposed to be redemptive, a high-risk/high-reward gamble that mostly went bust. It wasn’t awful — she seemed competent and aware, and to hit every mark — it was just. . . wrong. Awkward. Dutiful. Old-fashioned.”

Stewart added that it was as if Spears’s understanding of pop showmanship ended in 2005. The article does, however, give Britney props for her new album Glory, which has received mostly positive reviews.

However, Billboard gave Britney Spears a slightly better review. Jennifer Keishin Armstong said Spears was effective, but not glorious.

“With her MTV Video Music Awards performance on Sunday (Aug. 28), Britney Spears acquitted herself nicely, if not particularly memorably. It marked her return to the awards show that made her turn-of-the-millennium career, the event at which she danced with a python to ‘I’m a Slave 4 U’ and delivered an epic dance break to ‘Oops … I Did It Again’ and kissed Madonna in a blatant-but-iconic play for publicity.”

Armstrong adds that the performance didn’t break the ranks of her truly iconic past appearances at the awards show, but she had all of the basic things going for her. Most of the commenters after the article disagreed.

“Britney used to be amazing. She could still be amazing. She needs to fire her team and find some new people who are going to bring out what she is really capable of. That wasn’t a veteran performance,” claimed Candra Kongsaysy.

However, at least one commenter thought we should cut Britney some slack.

“People are so critical of everything Britney does, she doesn’t have to deliver anymore iconic performances at the VMA’s, she’s already delivered three which is more than any of today’s artists combined. If Britney didn’t perform straight after Beyonce people wouldn’t be as critical as they are now,” says Music_Stan137.

Meanwhile, as the Inquisitr reported last week, Britney Spears may have a chance to redeem herself at the 2017 Super Bowl Halftime Show. The article says that after Spears was asked about potentially performing at the show on BBC’s Radio 1, Spears said that she would “probably” perform at the show, but wouldn’t do it alone. Spears has taken the Super Bowl stage before when performing alongside Aerosmith in 2001. Let’s hope that the NFL doesn’t back down after Britney’s performance at the MTV VMAs wasn’t well received.